War of the Southern Cone
The''' War of the Southern Cone''' is a currently ongoing war involving several States of the Southern Cone (Chilean Shore, Río de la Plata Basin and Patagonia). The origin of the war lies in the escalation of the Third Patagonian Civil War that took place in 2057 beyond the Patagonian Borders, involving the various states of the region. The War started when the South Atlantic Treaty Organization moved into Patagonia to put an end to the conflict there. This was short after answered by Córdoba, considering the SATO was expanding its sphere of influence. Civil War The war started in Patagonia, when during the elections of 24 a.R. Consul Ismael Kuvic ran for reelections as candidate of the Monsian Party. During the Rafale term the Monsian Party had collapsed, thus Rafale governed without a coalition and lost against Kuvic in 2055 (23 a.R.) Kuvic tried to restore the Monsian Party, however a huge political crisis lead to his impeachment in 2056. The impeachment forced the Consul to call for elections, however debate erupted on whether the impeached Consul could be re-elected. Kuvic managed to place himself for election, but numbers gave victory to the Socialist candidate Alejandro Villegas. Villegas died three days after the results, on unclear circumstances, when his car crushed against a truck and fell to a river near Esquel. This lead to a deep constitutional crisis. Villegas died on February 4th, and in February 20th Senator Maximus (President of the National Assembly) Javier Enteiche expressed his desire Kuvic stepped out of power. Kuvic, only two hours later, declared the Constitution gave the Senator Maximus no power on Constitutional Crisis, and declared the Republic had failed to solve this issue. The Constitution at this point seems dead. On March 2nd Kuvic assembles a number of soldiers and sympathizers outside his residence in Puerto Carrera. He calls on the leaders of the Beckdorf Family to stand with him, but Ángela Ramirez, the former Consul´s wife, is silent in her residence in Comodoro Rivadavia, Marcelo Beckdorf, the elder son, is in tale, and beyond reach, and Emilio, the younger son, is out of the country. This call gave his opposes the feeling Kuvic is not really strong, and members of the SPC rallied near Kuvic´s home. Clashes between supporters of either side lead to fourteen deaths and three dozen injuries. Police arrested nearly a hundred, and both sides called abuse of power, though the Police was under Kuvic´s influence. On March 7th, two days after the clashes, Enteiche called Kuvic to step down, accusing him of crimes against his people. A day later the 5th regiment of Infantry revolted against the Senate, and declared its support on Kuvic, marching towards Puerto Rembrandt, seat of the Legislature. They arrived to the outskirts of the Capital, and were met by the 4th Glacial Batallion, lead by Captain Pablo Sotomayor. Hours before, he had met with Enteiche, and swore allegiance to the Assembly and the Constitutional Order. He was assisted by over 400 militiamen that gathered when news of the march against Rembrandt arrived to the surrounding areas. Both forces met in the southern shore of the San Rafael Lake. The engagement lasted four hours with a victory by the Legislative Forces. When news of the victory arrived, the Legislature called the armed forces to stand with the Assembly, against an unconstitutional Consul that now became the main suspect in Villegas´s death. The Battle of San Rafael marked the start of the Civil War. Instead of what Enteiche pretended, the Military was now split. The Kuvic-supportive legislators left Puerto Rembrandt, and fled to Puerto Carrera, where members of the Pampa Division secured the outskirts of the city, supporting Kuvic. Three members of these senates where arrested, which caused further outrage, on Kuvic´s side over the arrest of public servants, and on Enteiche´s side, on the supposed betrayal of the Constitution. On March 9th Kuvic declared: “The Constitution created an order that served us well for decades. The memory of Consul Beckdorf lead us for years. But now, it is clear the Constitution was unable to solve the many conflicts that came in the last months. The Constitution is dead. It is the Assembly´s duty to draft a new Constitution, one that can put an end to the conflict we stand upon today, and save our country. The Assembly has it´s days counted if they are unable to comply the people´s mandate.” With this, Kuvic announced his intentions to march on Rembrandt himself, and force the Assembly to draft a new Constitution. The Country was already set aflame, and the southern provinces mobilized the local garrisons based on their local legislatures and governments. Magallanes Governor Cristobal Vial called his support for Kuvic and declared the Assembly as an unconstitutional one. Meanwhile the Province of Tierra del Fuego had supported Kuvic, but on March 12th the Commander of the local forces, Tomás Eguiguren, took over the civil government and declared a state of Martial Law. He mobilized his forces to the Northern Shore of the Island and artillery strikes were made on Punta Arenas. Comodoro Rivadavia was also under Martial Law, it´s local Government and the local garrison supportive of the Legislature. Eight hundred infantry men were dispatched against Trelew, where the local 6th Infantry Batallion of the Pampa had taken over the city. In March 17th they clashed near Cape Trombo. The Legislative Forces were victorious, and advanced towards the city. In Puerto Carrera, Kuvic finally sets over for Rembrandt, and in March 15th he leaves with 7.000 troops. Knowing the Legislative Forces are already entrenched in the northern side of the Northern Ice Field, after the Battle of San Rafael, he sets to circle the Ice Field from the south, taking a longer route. His forces are ambushed three times by aberolian groups camping near the fields. The Aberolians are largely against Kuvic, and so are able to muster a big enough force to harass Kuvic´s army as it moves close to the Ice Field. In the meantime, the 4th Naval Group, commanded by Admiral Tomás Echeñique, moves through the Baker Canal and out of the Steffen Fjord. On March 21st Kuvic Army´s crossed the Huemules River, north of the Steffen Fjord. Battleships Rio Grande, San Jorge and Río Gallegos opened fire on the army, along with Lince-Class Missile Destroyers Acero, Tarakia and Nueve de Julio. The Army retreated to a defendable position, just before the Aberolian militias, numbering 1.500, charged form behind. Kuvic was trapped and unable to face the land forces attacking from the north. Just before he surrendered, ARP San Jorge, ARP Acero and Arp Tarakia turned on the aberolians and nearly routed them, then aiming and firing on the Congress ships. After a few minutes of fire exchange, ARP Rio Grande sinks, and the Pro-Kuvic Forces managed to retreat, with a nearly intact and powerful naval force. The Battle of Ice, while a military defeat for Kuvic, gave him an incredible amount of power on the sea front, which just opened. Between March 24th and April 15th the Pro-Consul forces at sea gather at the Gulf of Penas, and begin bombarding Puerto Rembrandt. The National Assembly evacuates inland into the Taitao Peninsula, aided by 1st Division forces. Rembrandt, being a naval fortress, responds fire with naval artillery, but is unable to cause major damage and force the retreat of the consular forces. Meanwhile, Kuvic reorganizes his forces and expands his front. In April 1st 20.000 men commanded by General Rafael Piñera march towards Comodoro Rivadavia, attempting to secure the Atlantic port and the nearby oil extraction areas. Leading 5.000 troops, Kuvic marches north, and in April 10th he secures Coihaique, after a small engagement with the local Governemnt forces loyal to the Congress. In April 14th his forces occupy Aysén nearly uncontested. He receives word of Piñera´s forces engaging a sizable force of Legislature troops at Pampa del Castillo. The Consular forces now lay siege to Comodoro Rivadavia, forcing the forces attacking Trelew to march back and defend their base in the Atlantic. At the same time, oil starts to flow back at Puerto Carrera. The naval forces that escaped the battle in the Baker did so by taking a route south, and now move westwards, to pass north of Puerto Rembrandt and land in the northern side of the Taitao Peninsula. They seek help on Chiloé, and the local governor, Martín Swett, descides to stand by the Congress, sending 4.000 troops to the Taitao Peninsula to help defend Puerto Rembrandt. The naval forces of the Pacific that remain loyal to the Congress (ARP Prat and other minor ships joining the Consular Navy on April 16th) form a bridge between Chiloé and Taitao, and coordinate further alliances with the Northwestern provinces. Puerto Montt sought to stand by Kuvic on April 17th, but a coup expels Diego Alvares from the Government and a local Junta supports the Congress. Esquel, in the meantime, with pro-Kuvic forces in José de San Martín, not too far south of it, joins the Consul, and mobilizes its local garrison. Bariloche stands with the Congress, and El Bolsón joines the Consul. The northwest is fully into the war now, and Chiloé sends 500 troops to land on Cochamó and march towards El Bolsón. In the meantime, Bariloche dispatches 5.000 troops to secure the hydroelectric plants in the northern border. These are shared with Neuquén, and the prescence of military forces soon causes some troubles in the international scenario. International Escalation The situation escalates. Neuquén protests against both Patagonian Governments. Kuvic soon offers Neuquén an alliance, considering they might go hostile against the Congress forces in Bariloche. Neuquén, led by Patricia Omayechea, turns down the offer, considering Kuvic was, at first, an enemy of Neuquén. The Fourth regiment of Foot and the 1st Armoured Batallion mobilize near Piedra del Águila. On April 27th the 4th Bolsón Militia Platoon occupied Río Villegas, the borderline between Bariloche and EL Bolsón. The northern Pro-Congress city responds, sending the 6th Infantry Brigade. On April 29th the engagement is still undecided. Pro-Kuvic forces land on Puerto Rembrandt on April 29th. A small engagement in the morning happens before the city falls. A thousand troops occupy the settlement and wave the Consular flag on the Congress. This moral victory has deep consequences on the International Scenario. On May 2nd the SATO suspended Patagonian membership as long as the Conflict remained. Kuvic protested, as he considered the situation to be soon over and critiziced the SATO´s intervention in internal affairs of Patagonia. SATO´s Secretary General, Ramón Mejías, answered that such liberties used by the Consul destroyed the image the region had made for the last years, and restored the “Banana Republic” reputation. By May 4th the Consular Forces pushed into the Taitao Peninsula, and assaulted the Ice Fields from both east and west. The Chiloé Volunteer Militia landed two days later and fully engaged the Consular Forces there by May 8th. Over 40.000 troops are now fighting in Taitao. In the eastern front, the FARP´s Congressional forces launch an attack on Las Heras and Perito Moreno, to stop the Consular advance on Comodoro Rivadavia. The Consulars respond by deploying fighters in the area and earning air superiority. On May 7th San Julián and Río Gallegos join the Congress. Over 15.000, between militia and armed forces personnel, are mobilized, marching north, south and west. On May 6th Puerto Natales and El Chaltén had joined the Consular Forces. The Southern Congressional Union is formed between Puerto San julián, Río Gallegos, Rïo Grande and Puerto Santa Cruz, and unite efforts to fend off Kuvic from Magallanes. On May 10th 4.000 troops occupy Cochrane, which had given signs of joining the Congress. The SATO sanctioned both sides with the withdraw of security forces out of the SATO bases on May 19th. The same day Neuquén mobilized once more near the border, in the outskirts of Plottier. Bariloche´s forces occupy EL Cuy and head to secure the Meseta del Somuncurá, just northwest of Puerto Madryn, secured by the Consular forces. On May 23rd Neuquén sends an ultimatum to both Patagonian sides of the war, to cease the border moves or face aggression. In the South, Comodoro Rivadavia manages to force Consular military off Las Heras, and gains some terran. Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca respond by mobilizing 5.000 troops to the Neuquén Border. As a SATO Member, Mar del Plata soon faces answers by the Secretary General, making calls to hold off the troops. On May 27th Neuquén´s forces occupy Lamarque and Fray Luis Beltrán from Choele Choel. This faces heavy SATO sanctions. By May 29th the Congress Forces are in standby for an eventual all-out war with Neuquén. Unable to face war on both sides, Bariloche pulls off Río Villegas.